Paint washer roller



May 19, 1964 J. L. CARR PAINT WASHER ROLLER Filed Dec. 18, 1963 INVEN TOR.

JA 6h L 640? United States Patent 3,133,548 PAINT WASHER ROLLER Jack L. Carr, 287 Pilgrim Road, Tonawanda, N.Y. Filed Dec. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 331,471

Claims. (Cl. 134138) This invention relates to devices for cleaning paint rollers and more particularly to a device which is attachable to a water faucet and which incorporates means for supporting a paint roller in accurately predetermined position with respect to the device and means for spraying cleansing water on the roller surface.

The application of paint and other decorating materials to wall surfaces by means of paint rollers has become widespread, both in professional and amateur use. Nevertheless, the problem of cleaning paint rollers after use or when a different color or material is to be applied presents a considerable problem due to the messy procedure which is usually entailed and due to the difficulty of efrecting thorough cleansing.

In the case of water soluble paints which are widely used in interior decoration, it is merely necessary to thoroughly flush the roller surfaces with water but considerable diiliculty and inconvenience is usually encountered. If a roller is not thoroughly cleaned shortly after use,

it hardens upon drying or contaminates the subsequent color if it is put to further use shortly after a given period of use.

In the prior art various attempts have been made to provide supporting enclosures in which the roller portion of a paint roller is mounted and housed and wherein the enclosure includes means for directing water against the roller surface to clean the same.

The present invention presents a substantial departure from prior art proposals and provides a substantially new paint roller washing device wherein the washing device is securely attached to a faucet where it may remain during a given painting job, although the device is readily removable from the faucet since it merely attaches to the usual screw threaded faucet end in the same manner as a hose coupling and requires no other mounting or securement. The washing 'device thus attached to a faucet incorporates means for readily receiving and positioning a paint roller therein and for directing a spray of cleansing water against the surface of the roller in such a way that the roller surface is thoroughly cleansed without any further attention by the operator.

It is merely necessary to place the roller in supported engagement with the cleansing device, turn on the water faucet, and allow the same 'to run until the roller is thoroughly cleaned.

In addition to the foregoing, the roller washer device of the present invention is arranged to receive and support a simple shield member which more or less overlies the roller when it is in proper position with respect to the washing device so as to prevent splashing of water away from the roller and the washing device.

The roller supporting and washing device of the present invention comprises basically a body member which as indicated above is removably attached to the discharge end of a faucet to be supported thereby and receive water from the faucet. The body member includes an internal passage from the faucet connection to a spray outlet portion which directs a fan spray of cleansing water along a predetermined plane. The body member includes means for receiving portions of the frame of a conventional paint roller in a readily insertable and detachable manner and in such a way that the roller portion of the paint roller is automatically positioned to extend parallel to the plane of the fan spray of water and so that the fan spray of Water strikes the paint roller surface eccentrical-ly, thereby producing rotation of the roller from the impact of the water spray thereagainst, whereby all portions of the roller surface are equally and thoroughly cleansed.

In one form of the present invention the aforesaid body member is provided with a slot and a box-like shield member is readily positioned with respect to the support by inserting an edge of a side wall of the box member :in such slot so that the box member overlies the roller and prevents splashing during the cleansing operation.

Other objects and advantages attendant upon the employment of the teachings of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the present art from a consideration of the specific embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in detail in' the following specification. However, it is to be understood that such embodiments are by way of example only and that the scope of the invention is not limited otherwise than as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a general perspective view of one form of the paint'roller washer of the present invention shown in a position of use;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof on a reduced scale; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken approximately on the line II'IIII of FIG. 2.

In the drawing like characters of reference denote like parts and the numeral 10 designates generally a holder 'body member comprising a forward extension 1|]. at its upper end and lateral extensions 12 and 13. As shown in FIG. 3 the upper end of body member 10 comprises a conduit portion 14 having a flanged plastic bushing 15 pressed therein to rotatably retain an internally threaded attaching nut 17 which serves to attach the body member to a threaded faucet outlet such as is indicated at 18 in FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIG. 3 the numeral 19 designates a conventional washer.

As shown in FIG. 1 the forward face of extension 1']. has a vertical groove 20 formed therein and the extensions 12 and 13 terminate in upwardly opening seats or recesses designated 21 and 22, respectively. 'The groove 7 20 and recesses 21 and 22 lie in a common plane which,

-lies in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the groove 20* and recesses 21 and 22 and emits a flat fan spray of cleansing water when the device is connected to faucet I18 and the water is turned on.

A flat spring member 30 is fixed at one end to extension 11 of body member 10 and extends across groove 2% as shown in FIG. 1. One common type of paint roller includes a frame rod shown at 31 in FIGS. 1 and 2 and a roller member 32. In this type a rod portion 33 extends generally parallel tot-he roller member 32. The roller is placed in the holder by disposing the rod portion 36 in recess 22 and slipping the vertical rod portion beneath spring 30 and into groove 20.

The roller is thus securely supported with the roller member 32 disposed as shown in FIG. 2 whereby the flat fan spray of cleansing water indicated at 35 in FIG. 2 strikes the surface eccentrically so that the force of the water spins the roller during the Washing operation.

Certain types of paint rollers which are in common use include frames in which the rod portion 33 extends obliquely as indicated fragmentarily by dash lines at 37 in FIG. l. in such cases the assembly of the roller in the holder is the same as described above excepting that upper recess 21 is employed in place of lower recess 22.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a spray fixture and paint roller support is provided which may readily be attached to a faucet and left in place if desired and in which a paint roller may be inserted and held in accurately predetermined position for effective spray washing of the roller surface thereof.

The lower portion of body member which includes Lateral extension 13 also is provided with an enlargement 40 which is slotted along its front edge as at 4-1. A splash shield in the form of a thin-walled box is designated generally in FIG. 2 by the numeral 42. Shield 42 includes a bottom wall 43, side walls 44 and 45, and end walls 46. One of the side Walls 44 is adapted to be inserted in slot 41 to position the shield as illustrated in FIG. 2.

Box 42 may be of plastic sheet material or of light sheet metal. An angle member 48 fixed to the inside of wall 44 extends between the end walls 46 and serves to deflect water which might otherwise splash outwardly of the shield (to the right as viewed in FIG. 2) after striking the interior of wall 44.

I claim:

1. In a paint roller washing device, a body member having a threaded coupling member at an upper end portion thereof for connection to a water supply faucet, spray opening means at a lower surface portion thereof adapted to project a fan spray of water along a generally'downward plane, passage means in said body member between said coupling member and said spray opening means, a pair of recesses at the front of said body member for receiving vertical and non-vertical portions of the wire frame of a paint roller to support and position the latter with the roller thereof parallel to said plane of the spray water and with the roller surface intersecting said spray eccentrically whereby the spray rotates the roller as the latter is washed by the spray.

2. In a paint roller washing device, a unitary body member having a coupling member for connection to a water supply faucet and'spray opening means below said coupling member adapted to project a fan spray of water along a generally downward plane, passage means in said body member between said coupling member and said spray opening means, a pair of recesses at the front of said body member for receiving vertical and non-vertical portions of the wire frame of a paint roller to support and position the latter with the roller thereof parallel to said plane of the spray water and with the roller surface intersecting said spray eccentrically whereby the spray rotates the roller as the latter is washed by the spray.

3. In a device for washing paint rollers which comprise a roller member and a frame member including a handle portion extending perpendicular to the roller member and a return bent portion providing a roller support portion, said device comprising a body member having a coupling member for connection to a water supply outlet and spray opening means adapted to project a fan spray of water along a generally downward plane, passage means in said body member between said coupling member and said spray opening means, a generally upright recess at the front of said body member for receiving said frame member handle portion and a lateral recess below said upright recess for receiving said return bent portion of said frame members to position said roller member with its axis parallel to said plane of the spray water whereby said spray strikes the roller surface eccentrically and rotates the roller during washing thereof.

4. In a device for washing paint rollers which comprise a roller member and a frame member including a handle portion extending perpendicular to the roller member and a return bent portion providing a roller support portion, said device comprising a body member having a coupling member for connection to a water supply outlet and spray opening means adapted to project a fan spray of wwater along a generally downward plane, passage means in said body member between said coupling member and said spray opening means, a generally upright channel at the front of said body member for receiving said frame member handle portion and a lateral channel below said upright channel for receiving said return bent portion of said frame member and a lateral channel below said upright channel for receiving said return bent portion of said frame member to position said roller member with its axis parallel to said plane of the spray Water whereby said spray strikes the roller surface eccentrically and rotates the roller during washing thereof, and means for detachably retaining said frame member in assembled position in said channels.

5. In a paint roller washing device, a body member having means for connection to a water supply faucet and spray opening means at a lower surface port-ion thereof adapted to project a fan spray of water along a generally downward plane, passage means in said body member between said connection means and said spray opening means, a pair of recesses at the front of said body member'for portions of the wire frame of a paint roller to position the latter with the roller thereof parallel to said plane of the spray water and with the roller surface intersecting said spray eccentrically whereby the spray rotates the roller as the latter is washed by the spray, a slot at the front of said body member extending parallel to said roller, and a box-like shield member having an upper edge thereof disposable in said slot to position the shield member in enclosing relation with respect to said roller.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,938,3168 Bixel May 31, 1960 3,037,516 Leach June 5, 1962 3,075,534- Habostad Jan. 29, 1963 

1. IN A PAINT ROLLER WASHING DEVICE, A BODY MEMBER HAVING A THREADED COUPLING MEMBER AT AN UPPER END PORTION THEREOF FOR CONNECTION TO A WATER SUPPLY FAUCET, SPRAY OPENING MEANS AT A LOWER SURFACE PORTION THEREOF ADAPTED TO PROJECT A FAN SPRAY OF WATER ALONG A GENERALLY DOWNWARD PLANE, PASSAGE MEANS IN SAID BODY MEMBER BETWEEN SAID COUPLING MEMBER AND SAID SPRAY OPENING MEANS, A PAIR OF RECESSES AT THE FRONT OF SAID BODY MEMBER FOR RECEIVING VERTICAL AND NON-VERTICAL PORTIONS OF THE WIRE FRAME OF A PAINT ROLLER TO SUPPORT AND POSITION THE LATTER WITH THE ROLLER THEREOF PARALLEL TO SAID PLANE OF THE SPRAY WATER AND WITH THE ROLLER SURFACE INTERSECTING SAID SPRAY ECCENTRICALLY WHEREBY THE SPRAY ROTATES THE ROLLER AS THE LATTER IS WASHED BY THE SPRAY. 